Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1887-06-17
Tennessee Letter.
MuRFREEsBoRo, June l, 1887.

LEAR URAPHlC--Ih W III Ii ecS DOTO
is historic town. 1t is built on
the east bank Of the Stone river,
and is the county seat of Ruther-
ford county, Tennessee. The town
is built principally of brick, and
has an old and neglected look. Its
population is perhaps five thou
sand, abont one third of whom are
colored. If the town every bore
evidence of prosperity i. was long,
long ago. The houses are without
paint, the gates are off the hinges,
the side walks and streets are neg
lected and there is a general air
of carelessness and listlessness
about tte inhabitants.
Of course it is hopelessly demo-
cratic. and shows the esteem in
which they hold the Niger" al
ways with to "g's." I will relate
a little incident which occurred
here couple of years ago.
Two colored men were condem-
ed to death, and the day set for the
hanging. One of Murfreesboro's
prominent citizens asked the priv
ilege of the authorities, of pre-
pairing reserved seats, and giving
a barbecue in honor of the occa-
sion, stipulation being that he
have the monopoly of the business
and charged 25 cts for each seat
and the same for each meal and
that the gallows on which the men
were hung should be his after
their execution. The seats were
put up, the fatted calf. the fatted
hog and the fatted sheep were
killed, and so were the condemned
men, and a general feast jubilee
was held. After the execution
this prominent citizen of Muir
freesboro took the glbbet and
coverted it into gate posts, using
the cross bar to which the negroes
were hung as the top, and this
thing, with its gastly associations,
guards the front entrance to his
residence. And this so far as l
have seen, is the one solitary en-
tyance in all Murfr eesboro, that is
freshly painted, and the color
chosen is paris green.
There are twenty-three law
yers in the town, twenty-five of
whom are democrats and the other,
rather an intelligent young fellow,
the solitary republican and by the
way he is a prohibitionist also,
but he looks, and he must feel,
awfully lonesome.
l was here shown the room in
which the rebel chief John Nor
gan was married to his second
wife, and a nick in a brick house,
and a hole in the side walk and
through the court house where the
rebel Forest had thrown round
shot, right into the principal street
of the town. But the great inter
est centers in the ground west and
north of town. Here within q
few miles of Murfreesboro was
fought that sanguinary battle of
Stone River, between Rosencrantz
with $4,000 Union troops
and Bragg with over $4,000
Rebels. At day light on the
morning of the 26th Of December
1862, Rosencrantz broke camp at
Nashville, and the march began
toward Murfreesboro where
Bragg's army was encamped. Skir-
mishing began on the 26th and
continued through the 9th, 2Sth,
29th and Both. On the evening of
, the 3lst Rssencrantz found Bragg
in front of Murfreesboro upon
ground of his own choosing, and
arranged to- attack in the morning.
All night long the two armies lay
there in sight of each other. More
than hundred thousand brave
men, each determined to conquer
or die. Morning came, the sun
arose in cloudless sky. Rosen-
crantz began his preparations for
attack, but the Rebel chief was
wary and before the Union troops
were aware of Bragg's intention
they were furiously attacked upon
the right. The rebels came pour
ing out of the brush by hundreds
and thousands. McCook who was
in command of the Union right
was gradually forced back. The
union front was broken, then the
second line, but the third stood
like wall of fire. The carnage
was terrible. Human life seemed
to have lost its value, upon both
sides; men rushed on to certain
death as when hungry, they go to a
feast. Now they were fighting
hand to hand, but the union
right was slowly but surely being
pushed back and the attack now
extended to the union center un-
der Thomas; the rebels rushed
forward with shouts Of triumph;
the center was forced back. 1t
looked as if the day was lost. The
brave General Sill was killed